A comprehensive website audit is essential for maintaining a healthy, high-performing website. This checklist covers all the critical areas you need to evaluate to ensure your site delivers the best possible user experience and search engine visibility.
Why Regular Audits Matter
- • Identify issues before they impact your rankings
- • Improve user experience and conversion rates
- • Stay compliant with accessibility standards
- • Maintain competitive advantage
SEO Audit Checklist
Technical SEO:
- • XML sitemap is present and submitted to search engines
- • Robots.txt file is properly configured
- • URL structure is clean and descriptive
- • No duplicate content issues
- • Proper canonical tags implementation
- • 404 errors are minimized and handled properly
- • Site has SSL certificate (HTTPS)
- • Page loading speed is optimized
On-Page SEO:
- • Title tags are unique and optimized (50-60 characters)
- • Meta descriptions are compelling (150-160 characters)
- • Header tags (H1-H6) create logical content hierarchy
- • Images have descriptive alt text
- • Internal linking strategy is implemented
- • Schema markup is present where appropriate
- • Content is high-quality and relevant
Performance Audit Checklist
Core Web Vitals:
- • Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) < 2.5 seconds
- • First Input Delay (FID) < 100 milliseconds
- • Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) < 0.1
- • First Contentful Paint (FCP) < 1.8 seconds
- • Time to Interactive (TTI) < 3.8 seconds
Optimization Areas:
- • Images are compressed and in modern formats (WebP, AVIF)
- • CSS and JavaScript are minified
- • Unused CSS and JavaScript are removed
- • Browser caching is properly configured
- • CDN is implemented for static assets
- • Server response times are optimized
- • Lazy loading is implemented for images
Accessibility Audit Checklist
WCAG Compliance:
- • Color contrast meets WCAG AA standards (4.5:1 ratio)
- • All interactive elements are keyboard accessible
- • Images have descriptive alt text
- • Form labels are properly associated
- • Heading structure is logical and hierarchical
- • Focus indicators are visible
- • ARIA labels are used where needed
- • Content is readable by screen readers
Security Audit Checklist
Security Measures:
- • SSL certificate is valid and properly configured
- • Security headers are implemented (CSP, HSTS, etc.)
- • Software and plugins are up to date
- • Strong password policies are enforced
- • Regular backups are performed
- • Input validation and sanitization are implemented
- • No sensitive information is exposed in source code
Mobile Responsiveness Checklist
Mobile Optimization:
- • Site is mobile-friendly and responsive
- • Touch targets are appropriately sized (44px minimum)
- • Text is readable without zooming
- • Content fits screen without horizontal scrolling
- • Mobile page speed is optimized
- • Mobile usability issues are resolved
User Experience (UX) Audit
UX Elements:
- • Navigation is intuitive and consistent
- • Call-to-action buttons are clear and prominent
- • Forms are user-friendly and functional
- • Error messages are helpful and clear
- • Search functionality works properly
- • Contact information is easily accessible
- • Page layout is clean and uncluttered
Pro Tip
Conduct audits regularly (monthly or quarterly) rather than waiting for problems to arise. This proactive approach helps maintain optimal performance and prevents small issues from becoming major problems.
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